1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for splicing optical waveguides, wherein a splice process is carried out as a function of control parameters.
2. Technical Background
A splice apparatus is used for connecting optical waveguides. Ends of the optical waveguides to be spliced are heated in the splice apparatus and are brought into contact with one another in order to be connected to one another by a fusion process. The quality of the splice can in general be characterized by the splice loss which occurs when light is transmitted through the optical waveguides which have been spliced to one another. If excessively high splice loss occurs, the splice process must be repeated.
There are various possible reasons for high splice loss to occur. For example, components of the splice apparatus may operate incorrectly. Faults can occur in consequence while optical waveguides are being aligned and when the optical waveguides are heated. After the optical waveguides have been aligned, the optical waveguide may, for example, have an excessive offset. The optical waveguides are generally heated by generating an arc between electrodes in the splice apparatus. One possible fault cause, for example, is that the preset splice current which occurs when the arc is being ignited between the electrode tips does not match the actual splicing current. Furthermore, the electrode tips may become dirty, thus interfering with the formation of the arc. The optical waveguides are therefore heated with an incorrect temperature profile, thus interfering with the fusion process of the materials of the two optical waveguides.
Another possible reason for faults occurs if a user has operated the apparatus incorrectly in that control parameters, for example a heating time during which the optical waveguides are heated, has been set too long or too short.
In addition to incorrect settings of the splice apparatus and components of the splice apparatus being faulty, optical waveguides to be spliced may also have been inadequately prepared, so that they are not suitable for splicing. For example, the ends of the optical waveguides which are intended to be heated in the splice apparatus may have become dirty. A further possible reason for faults is splitting which has occurred at a break point at which the optical waveguides are intended to be spliced.
When faults occur more often when splicing optical waveguides, the user will in general make use of the services of a service center. A diagnosis process, whose aim is to find the cause of a fault, is often difficult, since the user cannot adequately describe the fault that has occurred or because the settings of the splice apparatus and the conditions which were present during splicing can no longer be understood by the service center.